Today, the National Assembly
approved changes to Nigeria’s electoral act. Here are 8 things you need to know
about it:
1. INSTANT TRANSMISSION OF
RESULTS: The overarching objective of this new electoral act is to reduce human
interference in the electoral process and minimize corruption. In this regard,
the Electoral Act amendment mandates the immediate transmission of voting
results from polling units to collation centers. This will help to give
real-time results and updates and end election malpractice.
2. ONLINE PUBLICATION OF VOTER
REGISTERS: This amendment provides a fair and more level playing ground for all
contestants by mandating INEC to publish all voter registers 30 days before the
election. This will end the manipulation of voter registers. In the case of
missing names on the voter register, voters have 30 days to complain to INEC.
3. FULL BIOMETRIC ACCREDITATION:
The Electoral Act amendment gives INEC powers to utilize full biometric
accreditation of voters with smart card readers and/or other technological
devices, as INEC may introduce for elections from time to time.
4. RESTRICTS ARBITRARY
QUALIFICATIONS: The Electoral Act amendment ensures that political parties can
no longer impose arbitrary qualification criteria on candidates. This will
encourage younger voters to contest, promote competition in the process, and
make elections more free and fair.
5. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
MECHANISMS: The Electoral Act amendment sets out a more rigorous process for
the determination of candidates, as well as creates dispute resolution
mechanisms that will allow those who are aggrieved to petition quickly.
6. MAXIMUM EXPENSES: The
Electoral Act amendment sets out the maximum expenses that can be incurred by
every politician who is seeking election, as well as designates the fees that
aspirants will pay to political parties to purchase forms. This means that our
elections will no longer be about money and politics, but about competence.
7. SUBSTITUTION, RESIGNATION
& REPLACEMENT: The Electoral Act amendment ensures that the names of
candidates must be submitted not earlier than 90 days before the election, and
not later than 60 days before the election. Additionally, candidates can only
be substituted not later than 30 days before the election. Additionally, in the
case of resignations, the person who is resigning must do so physically
(in-person) — and his/her resignation letter will be transmitted to INEC.
8. DEATH: The Electoral Act
amendment specifies that in the case of a death occurring before an election,
such election will be suspended for 21 days and a replacement will be done
within 14 days — the remaining the 7 days will be used for campaigning.
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